The Ohio Committee on Trauma was established in the early 1970s. The first chairman was Dr. Bob Heide, an orthopedist from Cincinnati. Beginning around 1976, the Committee was lead by Dr. Bob Waltz, a Cleveland general surgeon and in 1981 by Dr. Robert Zollinger of Cleveland. Dr. Richard Fratianne became the chairman in 1983 and held meetings in conjunction with the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. Initial meetings focused on advancing trauma education through the development of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) courses throughout the state.
In 1984, the Ohio COT hosted a meeting featuring guest speakers from the Pennsylvania trauma system. Following their presentation, the group developed a trauma systems plan that represented the first efforts to establish a statewide trauma system.
In 1996, the Ohio COT became actively involved in efforts to pass HB 138, trauma systems legislation sponsored by Rep. William Schuck, R-Columbus. The group actively lobbied for HB 138. The bill passed in May, 2000.
Ohio COT Spring 2025 Meeting
At the annual OCACS meeting in Columbus in May 2025, the Ohio Committee on Trauma (OCOT) convened a vital session on trauma system coordination, highlighting the need for a Regional Medical Operations Coordination Center (RMOCC). Speakers, including Dr. Pradeesh George and Col. Valerie Sams, delivered powerful insights into civilian-military integration, readiness for mass casualty events, and the legislative infrastructure needed to strengthen statewide trauma response capabilities. The session focused on Ohio’s preparedness for the “1000/100” Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) scenario, managing 1,000 seriously wounded patients daily for one hundred days across the US. Col. Valerie G. Sams (C-STARS UCincinnati) highlighted the national framework for Regional Medical Operations Coordination Centers (RMOCCs), noting WPAFB’s role as a Role 4 Definitive Care Facility and the need to integrate the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) with HHS, DHA, VA, and military-civilian partnerships (e.g., University of Cincinnati Medical Center). She identified challenges in lines of authority, noting that some hospitals are unaware of their NDMS status or agreement updates, hindering integration.
Dr. Andrew Thomas (CMO, OSU Wexner Medical Center) presentation detailed Ohio’s Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), which supports eight Homeland Security Planning Regions and seven Healthcare Coalitions (HCCs). COTS, covering thirty-six counties, coordinates sixty-five hospitals, including nine trauma centers, and has developed capabilities like the Surge Operations Call Center (SOCC) and a 1,000-bed field hospital at the Franklin County Convention Center. ODH’s three-zone structure, led by experts like Dr. Andrew Thomas, facilitates regional coordination, but the system was not designed for extended events like LSCO, highlighting the need for seamless statewide integration.
Dr. Pradeesh George, Chair of the Ohio CoT, emphasized Ohio’s strengths, such as centralized transfer centers (e.g., Zone 2 coordinating forty hospitals during COVID-19) and ODH/OHA data systems, but noted gaps in cross-zone coordination, real-time bed tracking, and subacute/rehab capacity. Workforce shortages (e.g., 9,000 RN vacancies, 5,080 orthopedic surgeon shortage nationally by 2025) exacerbate these challenges. A solution would be a statewide Medical Operations Coordination Center (MOCC) to provide real-time monitoring, patient load-balancing, and military-civilian coordination, ensuring multi-hazard adaptability. During discussions attendees underscored the urgency, warning that proposed federal funding cuts threaten Ohio’s preparedness infrastructure, risking lives, causing economic burdens, and weakening surge capacity.